Phase One: Preparation for the Chuunin Exam
by MonroeFishel
Summary: Most of the characters in this story are OC, but the anime's charcters will start to spring up as the story progresses, I promise. This follows the Konoha teams as they prepare for the Chuunin Exam. complete
1. Day 1

Day 1

"To the right again. I'll see if I can react any faster. Let's go." The young woman said to the boy, who had set up a trap. He waited until she started running, then pulled a series of strings, watching as explosions closed in on her right. Her right bicep and leg showed burn marks from the previous attempt.

She raced as fast as she could, then immediately turned toward the final explosion, leaping through and landing awkwardly on her knees. She slid a few feet, then fell forward, heaving breaths. The boy ran to her side, kneeling by her.

"So, how was it? How close were they?" she asked. He looked up to see the smoke rising from the explosions, and the charred ground – then he saw her footsteps, which made it farther than before.

"You're improving, but we gotta slow down before you cook yourself." He said, helping her up.

Amongst the smoke and ashes, a tall figure stood silently, watching as they departed. He cracked a smile before alerting them to his presence.

"Well done. It looks like you're taking the traditional road to being a chunnin seriously." He said.

"Kaito-sensei!" the young woman and the boy ran to the jounin. He was dark-skinned with a calm expression and wore the usual Leaf uniform, and wore a grey jacket with the collar up, covering his mouth. The Leaf headband was wrapped around the collar.

"Asuka, Takeh, wonderful work as usual." He said.

Asuka was 15 years old, and unlike most girls who wanted to be a shinobi. She rarely practiced genjutsu and ninjutsu, and loved taijutsu, taking every opportunity to practice and use it. It was safe to say most boys in Konoha were a little intimidated by her.

Takeh was younger, at eleven, but that didn't stop him from becoming an impressive student. He practiced the main three jutsus, but his greatest strength lied in laying traps. He used to pull very sophisticated pranks, and under Kaito's wing, he learned to use it to help his teammates and hurt opponents. His older brother Shun, was also a genin, and more like Asuka.

There was a third student, and as usual, she was somewhere in Konoha, wondering around, forgetting she had training. Kaito sighed a little, and looked at the sky.

"Hmm, a little after 8 a.m. She's probably…"

- - -

The chef looked at the awkward young woman – or was it girl? She looked to be tall enough to pass for a woman, but her whole countenance…

"Um … do you have – well no I just want – um, I thin….k OKAY! I'll get! No … no"

The chef was too groggy to be annoyed at this time, so he just stared at her through tired, half-asleep eyes, hoping she'd make her mind up.

"Saraidenn!" Kaito appeared behind her. She let out a scream, nearly falling over. Kaito smirked, holding back laughter as she regained her composure. The chef fell asleep at the counter, obviously not concerned about what was transpiring.

Of the genin assigned to Kaito, Saraidenn kept him on his toes most often. When she wasn't wondering off during a mission, she was constantly asking questions and disrupting training with her clumsy ways. She showed all sorts of potential, but lacked the attention span at this point. She was only ten years old, but also five feet four inches tall, which made her the target of jokes from academy students.

"Sarai, what time is it right now?" Kaito asked. The mocha skinned girl squinted through her glasses looking outside. She looked at the shadows, then turned to see the chef sound asleep.

"Um … seven? Hehehe?" she laughed a little nervously, then watched as Kaito gave her a serious expression. Kaito wasn't one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but most of the time, it was easy to see what he felt like. She frowned a little, and changed her answer.

"A little after eight?" she replied. Kaito nodded.

"Good. Come with me. You can eat later." Kaito took Sarai's hand and formed a hand seal, vanishing. The chef awoke … seeing there was no onethere. He wasted no time in catching more sleep.

- - -

The proud, majestic eagle flew through Konoha – well, more like sped. It flashed through shops and past the early birds, nearly making a beeline to an apartment window. As it hurried to its perch, it screeched, alarming a young man, making him fall out of bed.

He looked up to see the eagle at his windowsill.

"Taru," he mumbled. "You're late."

The eagle gave a soft screech, flapping its wings in its defense. He gave a small smile before throwing on his usual clothing – his black chunin uniform, a yellow pullover with the symbol of a brown and white wing on the back, and his black and silver shoes with metal on the bottom and sides. He wrapped his forehead protector around his head and rushed out to the academy.

The eagle flew overhead, then swooped onto the young man's shoulder as he entered the academy. He walked to the classroom, where he knew his genin were waiting. Of all the days to be late…

He walked in to see his three genin, all bored. The girl of the group looked up, instantly smiling.

"Taiki-sensei!" she greeted him. He gave a quick smile, stopping in the doorway. The two males yawned and look at him through sleepy eyes.

"I assume you haven't had enough sleep?" Taiki asked. The two nodded, not making any attempt to move at all. The girl turned to both, putting her hands to her hips.

"Takumi, Shun! Get up! We have more trai – "

"Michiya," Taiki interrupted. "I say we wait a while before training today. I don't think we should start out so tired."

"But Taiki, we need as much time – " Taiki nodded, walking to a seat. Michiya gave a sigh, wondering why she'd been chosen for such a group. They were always the latest to report and slacking off during missions. She watched Taru peck at Taiki's shoulder, then make a perch.

Taiki was a talented shinobi, there was no doubt about it. He was also one of the few shinobi to take on birds as tools and weapons. But, he was always late, saying his reason was that he wouldn't know what to do if he were too early. His missions involved them not only working together as a team, but putting each other in dangerous situations, simulating common scenarios.

Michiya Fujiwara was the older sister of Saraidenn, but smaller than her younger sibling. She hated it at first, but she began to sympathize with her sibling after hearing her being poked fun at. She sometimes stuck up for her, but mainly watched how Sarai reacted. The Fujiwara household was known mostly for its physically talented shinobi who, even in old age managed to stay in top physical condition.

Takumi Kurokawa came from a household full of noble shinobi, but you wouldn't know it. One of the younger Kurokawa, Takumi was already talented and gifted in his jutsus,but had a habit of taking things too lightly. He was 15, the same age as Michiya, but taller, in a more lanky frame. He was given a sword to use, but really didn't rely on it as much as most would think a Kurokawa should.

Takeh's older brother, Shun, was strictly a close range fighter. He always got into fights in the academy, and as a result was deemed as a trouble maker. After learning the ins and outs of being a shinobi, he focused on improving as a ninja, mostly in the physical sense. He had trouble with forming seals, and thinking out strategies on missions.

Michiya seemed to be the only one concerned about training, and the only one who knew they had exactly a week to prepare before the chunin exam.

- - -

"Hmm, what goes better – green and brown? Or red and pink?" the older woman asked. The young woman to whom the question was directed, pondered for a second, then pointed to the left.

"Green and brown. It makes me look more … ready for battle." She decided. She threw on her brown shirt and green pants, rolling them up over her shiny new black boots. She wrapped her forehead protector around her braids, and bid her mother farewell.

Miharu Yamashita, or Yama as she was nicknamed, was brought up in a very divided household. On one hand, her mother wanted her to become a fashion expert, while her father wanted her to become a medical ninja. Luckily for her, both of her parents couldn't decide, so she ended up having a little of both.

"You're boots are nice … but they could be cumbersome on missions." Miharu looked around, then felt a light-skinned young woman sitting on her shoukder. Yama let out a yelp, stumbling backwards. The shoulder sitter leapt off the unstable host, watching as she picked her self up.

"Miharu-sensei…" she whined a little. The relationship with her chunin was an odd one to say the least. Both were 18 years, but both had different pasts.

Miharu Nakamara came from a very dangerous house of trained assassins, but that's all she'd tell anyone. She wore orange bands around her wrists, a Nakamara house color. She wore the Leaf uniform also, but used her protector as a sheath for her daggers. Her talents were still vague even though she passed the chunin exam.

"What are you doing here?" Yama asked.

"Gathering my students of course. You're the last one. Kazuki and Ayumi are training right now." Mihaur stated. Unlike most chunin, she didn't overreact when a student was late for training. She trusted her genin, and of the chunin, she got along with them the easiest.

- - -

The burly young man sat indian style in the forest, meditating. Focusing on the training ahead.

"Kazuki …" a voice said. He stayed calm.

"Kazuki…" he kept his eyes closed. _Focus on the wind .. the wind…_

"HEY IT'S MICHIYA-SAN!" the voice shouted.

"HUH?WHERE?" he snapped out of his focus. He saw a small girl with an amused look on her face. She wore a black gi with a white sash and black pants. The black gi had a white circle with a red symbol in the middle that meant oneness.

"Ayumi…" he pounded his fist. "I'll give you to the count of three before I make mincemeat out of you. One .. Two … - "

"Three." Kazuki felt something on his head, and Ayumi saw her sensei balancing on one finger, on Kazuki's head. She flipped off, landing in from of the two. Yama appeared shortly thereafter, completing the group.

"Kazuki…" Miharu said. "You shouldn't threaten your group members. Remember, as good as your individual talents are, you can still benefit more and more everyday from teamwork. Never forget that."

Kazuki wasn't the kind of person to threaten anyone. But once in a while Ayumi would get on his nerves, especially when he meditated. He was built very sturdily, possessing impressive strength at 16 years old. He wore a white shirt under his green jacket and a pair of blue pants. His protector was too tight on his head, so he fit it on his bicep.

Ayumi was a tiny girl, barely five feet, but was a wise 13 year old. The way she carried herself around adults led most to believe she was older than she was, but her peers knew the real her. the one who would occasionally slip and make a mistake, or still joke around despite dangerous circumstances.

Miharu sat them down, then gave them the briefing on what they were to expect in the week leading up to the exam.

- - -

"So that's what we'll do." Taiki said, placing chalk down. "By the exam, you should be able to finish both the written and physical tasks."

Michiya nodded while both Takumi and Shun responded by raising their hands.

- - -

"This week isn't just for training, but learning." Kaito told his genin. "I want you learning every day, moment by moment. Your body my have its limits, but your mind is capable of much more."


	2. Day 2

Day 2

Taiki sat Indian-style, memorizing the chunin exam as he thought.

"Hmm, a quiz … the survival test … then the one on one fighting." He said. He froze for a second, surprised at the simplicity and brevity. The test took about a week or so to complete, with the longest segment being the Forest of Death. If the students made it through, a certain amount of time was given so the finalists to be considered for chunin could rest up. He felt Taru on his shoulder, and he reminisced on his match in the massive arena…

_He was fighting Hiro Tanaka, the most popular genin so far. He'd won both his matches easily with his Ground Ripper technique, something everyone thought was an advanced bloodline. It wasn't, but right now, that didn't matter. 16 year old Taiki felt a little nervous facing the year older fan favorite, but stomached his butterflies, ordering Taru to fly overhead. Hiro quickly formed a hand seal, creating a huge circle in front of him. _

_"Magnification! Ground Ripper!" _

_Taiki had watched all of Hiro's matches, and had never seen him perform his magnifying technique. The Magnifying technique simply made attacks stronger and cover more ground. Instead of a simple straightforward fault traveling at his opponent, the whole stadium shook, and split. Taiki shook, and tried to steady his feet to jump, but the ground was too unstable. He formed a hand seal, then looked up at Taru, who flew toward its master. Unheard among the stunned crowd, Taiki let out what could have been his final words. _

_"Convocation!" he shouted. _

_A mass of eagles flew above the destruction caused on the ground.. They began to form a formation, and flew slowly in a circle, a sign that meant something dead was nearby – or death was immanent. Hiro, not affected, formed another hand seal, but this time it didn't involve any magnifying or ground ripping. He was about to use his bloodline limit. He finished his seal, then looked up, lightning engulfing his whole body. _

_"Tanaka … Shockwave!" he leapt high into the air, then crashed his fist down, sending electricity throughour the stadium. The fans quickly ran out of harm's way. A few weren't so fortunate. The eagles overhead were quickly dissolved, and as the dust settled, there was only one person seen. _

_Taiki was breathless, sitting behind the tree, wondering how he'd managed to evade the lightning. He peeked out to see Hiro was beginning to look for him. Taru was nearby, not moving. _

_Awww man … if anything happens to Taru … Taiki thought._

_Hiro ignored the downed animal, searching for the more important beast – Taiki. The downed Morita formed a hand seal, closing his eyes tight…_

_Hiro heaved breaths in and out, taking the time to regain his stamina. He walked toward the tree, hoping to feel some shade as his skin was very hot. _

_"Talon Breeze!" Hiro turned to see a gulf of wind – with Taiki in the middle – rushing on him. He moved quickly, knowing that he had to find a safe spot. He knew if he stopped, it would be over. He stopped in the middle of the arena, cooking up and idea. The gulf easily maneuvered, spinning then throwing Taiki and a fleet of kunai's at Hiro. _

_"Thunder … Revelation!" Hiro shouted. The whole arena – _

"Taiki-sensei, it's noon. We've been training for a while. Can we eat?" Shun tapped him on the shoulder and Taru screeched. He nodded, surprised the time went by so fast. Taru screeched again, flying off his shoulder.

"Yeah, I was." Taiki said sheepishly. "I should've been paying attention."

Taru screeched, flapping his wings before perching on a tree.

"Hmm, really? That's good to know. I'll test them when they get back…"

- - -

"The town is green, and the plants are brown. The sun is yellow, and the ground is white." Kaito said, his eyes closed, and his genin sitting in front of him. Asuka and Saraidenn seemed a little restless, but Takeh seemed interested.

"Now, Sarai!" he shouted. "What color are the leaves?"

Sarai turned from staring into space, and looked at Kaito, whose expression meant that this was no rhetorical question. She looked around, and smiled easily. She saw green leaves, so that had to be the answer, right?

But Kaito was no ordinary riddler. He always had weird answers and strange reasoning behind it them, at least she thought. She decided to get it over with. Besides, being a ninja didn't mean answering questions on paper.

"Green. The leaves are green." She replied. Takeh laughed, and Asuka turned her attention to the group, fearing she was next.

"You have much to learn. Being that you're only ten, I'll let such a rudimentary answer pass." Kaito said, pointing to Asuka, who groaned.

"Sensei…" she began. He shook his head, expecting an answer.

"Um … well … I'd say the leaves are … yellow?"

"No. Takeh, maybe you have the answer." The boy nodded and answered.

"The leaves aren't there. It is winter. The ground is white with snow, and the plants are brown because the sun is far away." Kaito smiled. If anyone was capable of analyzing a situation, it was Takeh.

"The next riddle." Both girls groaned. Takeh listened intently.

"The sun is high, Grumbling is heard, and smoke is rising. Sarai!"

She moaned inwardly. She didn't eat this morning either.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"But sensei, I'm hungry! Is it lunchtime yet?" she said out of frustration.

"Correct! We'll have lunch!" he said. Sarai beamed, finally answering a riddle right.

Kaito grinned under his jacket. _A ninja must have great timing. _He thought.

_And a little luck doesn't hurt…_

- - -

Miharu watched her genin eat their lunch, and it seemed that the way they ate rivaled their fighting styles. Yama picked pieces off of food, Kazaki ate without using his hands and Ayumi began slicing her food. She enjoyed watching how they handled situations out of battle too. What a ninja did and how they lived was also a sign of how they'd react in combat.

She preferred not to eat today, which wasn't too common. She'd eat just to get her blood going, but today felt, different. Ayumi placed her knife down, then stopped.

_Is it … her? _

Miharu sat down, then immediately stood, her brown eyes as wide as saucers. Her light skin began to turn red.

_It is her…_

"Ayumi-san!" Ayumi looked behind her to see Natsumi Kuroda, otherwise known as her best friend. They were the same age, and took the same classes outside of the academy. Natsumi wore a black dress with black pants underneath and a tan jacket which came to her elbows. She wore her protector on her forehead.

"How's the training?" Ayumi asked. Kazuki and Yama both looked at each other, then at the two … then kept eating.

"Good. I've been learning so much with Yoshi-sensei. I think she's the best female chunin!"

A young woman with short black hair walked in. She wore a white shirt with blue pants that had red stripes down the side. She wore red shoes with yellow stripes, and wore her protector around her neck. She also wore a white and yellow sleeve on her right arm.

"You speak well, Natsumi." She beamed. Following her in were her other two genin, Kento Higashi and Kyo Shiritsu. Kento was 14, and known mostly for his trash-talk and bragging about his skill. Kyo was 13 years old and quieter, but a quick learner, using a unique weapon. He carried around a rope that he controlled using charka. When he wasn't using it, he'd wrap it around his waist.

"Yoshi Nakashima …" Miharu mumbled under her breath. Kazuki and Yama looked up, surprised to see their usually calm chunin apparently angry. Yoshi stopped beaming and stared across the room. Ayumi and Natsumi stopped conversing and froze. It seems they felt the tension rising in the room too.

The anger arised from when they were genin together. Mission after mission, they slowly began to realize that they were equals in just about everything. But, Miharu was younger by six months. Even fighting on the same teams, they treid to outdo each other, but they only ended up with the same results over and over. Kazuki coughed and Yama started nervously laughing.

"Nice to see you Kyo." Zazuki said. Kyo nodded and Kentu tapped Yoshi on the shoulder. She turned, giving him the nastiest look he'd ever seen.

"Umm … I'll just go … get some food. Come on Kyo, before we die…" Kentu said, pushing Kyo ahead of him.

Miharu cleared her throat, aware of the friction she and Yoshi had caused.

"Hello, Yoshi. I see you have quite a class on your hands." Miharu said. Yoshi calmed down, the color leaving her skin.

"Yes … and your genin are looking quite healthy indeed. Have a nice day." She said, flipping a kunai quickly at Miharu, who easily caught it. She gave a faint smile, and returned to her genin., watching as Natsumi walked away from Ayumi. They were both friends.

But that's how she and Yoshi started too.


	3. Day 3 Part One

Day 3

"RUN!" the skinny young woman turned to escape, but felt a tug on the collar of her green uniform. She slowly stopped churning her legs, then gave up. It was no use.

"Usagi, stop being so scared. We've seen this before." Said a tall man wearing a black uniform, his protector on his long arm. He was referring to a wild tiger that had gotten lose from the Forest of Death.

"Jiro, do we kill it, or let it be?" asked another tall man. He was younger, and had a twin, who waited for the verdict.

"Hmm, take it on. Use what you've learned." Jiro said.

"Goro, Rokuro, what will we do?" Usagi asked, trembling. Goro stepped forward. The way to tell Goro and Rokuro apart was by Goro's bandages, which were on his arms and left leg. Rokuro was also a little taller, around six one. Their sister Usagi, was older than them both, but she rarely acted that way. She wore a green uniform with her protector on traditionally, and carried a flag on her back.

Goro finished his hand seal, a replication technique. The tiger growled, sensing they wanted to fight. It gave a sudden charge, aiming for the original Goro. Goro quickly formed another hand seal, then froze. The tiger froze to.

"Nice work Goro, holding the tiger in place with your shadow imitation clones. Rokuro! Your move."

Rokuro did the same replication technique but charged the tiger from all sides. Defenseless, the tiger could only watch as Rokuro slashed it from all directions.

"Usagi! Finish it!"

"Oyyyeee!" she shouted, surprising everyone, including the tiger. She threw kunai down on the ground, then started to bound of off them on her way to the tiger. She stopped inches away from the vulnerable beast, and formed hand seals. The kunai were lifted out of the ground, and Usagi kicked the tiger in the chin, lifting it up.

The kunai found a soft place in the tigers underbelly, and it fell. Dead.

- - -

Ayumi and Kazuki both watched in amazement at the display of teamwork.

"If we meet them in the forest, it should be an interesting battle." She said. Kazuki agreed. Miharu focused on the chunin with the trio more than the three siblings. In fact, the chuunin was the oldest of the four. Jiro Ito was also a person who was good friends with Taiki when they were younger. As they got older, they grew apart, and with the family responsibilities piling up on the large Ito clan, Jiro had was like a chuunin before he finished the exam, taking time away from the exam to teach his younger siblings.

Usagi was a year younger than Miharu, and her actions ranged from childish to genius. It was impossible to tell what she was going to do. Goro was the fighter of the twins, always challenging someone to a fight. Rokaru was more reticent and wanted to become a shinobi to help earn money on missions. His true goal was to become an ambassador for the Hidden Leaf.

"Yama-san. Did you see that?" Kazuki asked. Yama shook her head, studying scrolls. Miharu took time out to give Yama medical scrolls, and told her it would take a while to fully understand them. Yama studied them closely, forming hand seals, then felt a strange feeling in her arm.

"A poison removal jutsu. When you touch the affected area, it offsets the effects of the poison." Miharu said. "and the poison is removed."

Yama nodded, and disengaged the jutsu. Miharu was glad at how her tem formed. Ayumi had shown improvement with her sound techniques, Kazuki was training not just speed, but his strength, and Yama, in addition to her formidable fighting skills, was becoming a medical ninja.

_This trio's chance are looking better day by day. _She thought, pumping her fist. _Beat THAT, Yoshi-san." _

- - -

_Saraidenn Fujiwara. _She ran to the waterfall.

_Are you listening? The time has come for you…_

Sarai leapt up, jumping across tree branches, hoping she wasn't late. She finally had breakfast, and could feel her legs under her. She felt faster, stronger…

_To learn the Fujiwara technique. But only if you land on your feet. _

A tall man came into view, along with – three genin? Wrong group. She darted to her left.

_You've turned eleven today. Become more mature. Now, gather your charka into your feet to become more stable. We'll keep going until you can recover successfully. _

She smiled, becoming the same age as Takeh. Hopefully they could be treated as equals. Kaito always made things tougher on her…

_Get up … think more on landing than dodging … _

She saw Takeh and Asuka, who both were at the base of a tree. Sarai landed in front of them.

"Where is Kaito-sensei?" she asked. Asuka shrugged.

"I don't know. He's usually here before we are. This is weird." Takeh said.

- - -

"HAHAHAHAHA!" If his genin were to see him, they wouldn't recognize this Kaito. He was laughing with his old friend Kichiro Watanabe, a stout ninja with a sense of humor. He wore a green uniform with brown stripes and brown shoes. He carried a blade on his back as well.

"You should've seen them! You should've seen them!" Kichiro said, motioning to his genin. The trio sat by idly, waiting for the reunion to end. Neither seemed intent on training, so they took time to chill for a minute.

"I guess we'll have to wait, aaayyyy?" said his only male genin, Ichiro Yamada. He was a decent ninja, but excelled more at singing and drama. He joined to appease his father, who wanted all of his sons to become a shinobi before they were anything else. It was more for personal protection rather than a lifetime decision. He wore a white shirt under his green robe and red pants, with his protector worn a little crooked on his forehead.

"Geez, you'd think they haven't seen each other for ten years. It's only been a few months." The skinny girl crossed her arms. Her face bore her usual expression, which was a sneer. She huffed before laying her head on the table.

"Kasumi, a lot has happened ever since we were split. I think it's great to reminisce on the good times."

"Ugh, Minako, you think everything is great, don't you?" Kasumi responded, her head still on the table. Kasumi Shikamaru wasn't the most positive genin. Her attitude reminded most of the Shikamaru before her, especially her older brother, Nara. She wore a blue vest over her black uniform and wore metal greaves on the sides of her legs.

"Mew, yeah. Isn't that right, Kini?" the cat sitting on her head mewed affirmatively. Minako Kiba came from a very familiar house, much like her cousin. Her cat was an orange tabby named Kini. It was given to her at birth. Minako had three marks on the sides of her face, looking more like a cat than human. She wore a pink bow in her black hair and a white kimono with a pink bow tied around it. Her shoes were white sandals.

"At this rate, we won't have to train, aaayyy?" Ichiro said. Kasumi groaned at Ichiro. He always ended his sentences like that. It was annoying. Everything right now was annoying. Why didn't Kichiro do this some other time? It was so … troublesome.

"Mew mew mew …. Mew mew mew … Mew mew mew…" Kini happily joined the perky Minako and their song filled the air, Ichiro joining. Kasumi had enough and ran to Kichiro, who was in the middle of another story. He was laughing with the taller genin when he felt a tug on his shirt.

"Huh?" he asked. Kasumi gave him a bored expression, hoping he'd get the message. He gave another laugh.

"There are too many stories to tell. We'll talk later." He said. Kaito nodded, then vanished. Ichiro and Minako were still singing, and Kichiro looked at Kasumi, whose eyes pleaded for him to make them stop. He gave her a knowing nod, then called out to his singing genin.

"So were finally leaving … aaaayyy?" Ichiro asked.

"Yep. Today's lesson is … patience. You'll need it for the exam." He said.


	4. Day 3 Part Two

Michiya ducked another kick. Then another, and another.

"That's it! that's it!" Taiki shouted from his tree branch. "There you go! Keep dodging! Make him tired!"

He was running a hit and run drill. The drill was more like a game of tag. Once the person who was attacking connected, they became the target, and had to dodge attacks. Taiki threw kunai in to spice the activity up.

Shun swept low, hoping MIchiya would jump. She did, but she jumped backwards out of his range. Takumi watched nearby at the base of the same tree. Shun again persued, jumping over a thrown kunai, then got an idea. Michiya backflipped, then ran straight at Shun, forming a hand seal.

"Replication!" she split into three, still running at Shun. He held the kunai, not sure which one to attack. The two clones slid at Shun. Not to attack him, but to kick dust in his face. The real MIchiya used this to buy her some time to catch her breath. She took a few steps to take refuge, but a kunai blocked her path. It wasn't from Taiki though.

"Not this time." Shun formed a hand seal staring right into Michiya's eyes. "Burning Fist!"

He ran toward MIchiya, his left hand flaming. Michiya ran at Shun. Taiki watched intently at Shun's right hand.

"Taiki-sensei, doesn't Shun use his right hand with that technique?" Takumi asked. Taiki concurred. Michiya leapt over Shun's head, and Shun dove – to the kunai, and threw it with his right, falling to the ground.

"Ha! I wo – " Michiya's victory was cut short by the kunai which had lodged itself in her left calf.

"Your move." Shun said.

"MIchiya," Takumi asked. "Are you – " she nodded. For a girl, Michiya was always tough and had a habit of sticking her neck out. She could recover from pain at a very quick rate as well.

"I'd say that's a pretty nice group you got there."

Taiki turned, recognizing the voice. He saw three tall young men and a shorter young woman.

"Jiro Ito." He said, coming down from his perch. Jiro walked over and they shook hands.

"Look, Taiki-san. I hope you don't mind if my genin can train here." He said, crossing his arms.

"Well … I guess. Why do you want to train here when there are so many other spots?" Taiki asked.

"I want to challenge someone." Goro immediately spoke up. Taiki turned to Takumi, who stood at the ready.

"Sure." Taiki said.

"I want to fight you." Goro said – to Taiki.

"What?" Taiki's three genin seemed to say together in unison.

"I want to be the strongest, so I can't just set my sights so low. I want it all. I want the best." Goro said, stepping forward.

"Hmmm... since you've insulted my genin, I'll take your challenge. And because your siblings are here, I'll take it easy on you. The chunin exam is four days away." Taiki said confidently.

"No … give me everything. It makes no sense if you don't give it all you've got. I may as well fight your genin for that." Taiki snorted.

"Okay." Taiki said, his eagle flying to his shoulder. "Let's do it."

The six spectators watched as Taiki held his hand out to Goro, who stood about twenty feet away.

"Your move first." Taiki said.

"You'll regret it. Shadow Imitation!" In an instant, Goro's shadow fused with Taiki's, and Michiya gasped.

"Michiya, calm down.' Takumi said, watching as Taiki gave a smile.

"I was expecting you to come at me, but since this is your move …" Taiki whistled, and Taru flew at Goro.

"I'll have to disrupt it."

"Oh no you don't." Goro said, yanking his head from side to side, hoping to dodge Taru. "I''ll keep my hands right here so you don't move."

Taiki laughed a little to himself as his head went from side to side as well. He glanced over at Jiro, who looked seriously and nodded every few seconds. The Ito Clan was good at learning about other attacks, just not good at physically reacting to them. Their knowledge came from hard work and discipline. Every time other children played, they were taught to constantly study the scrolls and books, expanding their knowledge of the jutsus.

Goro, irritated by Taru's constant swooping, swatted at it. Taiki whistled and didn't give Goro a chance to use his shadow move this time.

"Convocation!" Taiki exploded into his mirage of eagles. Goro flinched, then looked around, wondering where Taiki went.

"Falcon's Talon!" Taiki rushed in on Goro's side, kicking him in the midsection, then vanished coming in on his other side, rising with another kick to his waist. Goro winced.

'Urghh…" he moaned. "I should've held my guard up."

Taiki rushed in head on with Goro, landing his palm squarely in Goro's midsection, sending him sprawling ten feet to the ground.

"Goro! Get up!" Jiro said, his arms crossed. "Do you now see the level of preparation you'll need?"

"Ugh. Yes, brother. I mean, sensei." He picked himself up, looking at Taiki, who still stood in his attack stance.

"Taiki. You still use that move?" Jiro laughed. "It's good to know it still works on the youngsters."

"Well, you know." Taiki smiled, easing his muscles. "I can't show them everything right off the bat. See you at the exams."

"I'll see you there." Jiro said.


	5. Day 4

Day 4

"Fist of the Chipmunk!" Kento shouted, running at Kyo. The rope was released, but Kento evaded and closed in on the vulnerable target.

"Hmm … so next time …" Kyo said before ducking a few quick punches form Kento.

The rope came back, wrapping around Kento's ankles, then slithering up his body.

"Not today!" Kento said, forming hand seals. He burst from the rope, and landed on one knee.

Kento felt the stress on his legs from the quick burst of energy running through. Kyo caught his rope, motioning behind the kneeling genin. Yoshi was walking back with Natsumi, who had a bandage on her right arm, and a disappointed look on her face.

"Natsumi, you fought well, and you trained hard. But remember, training hard doesn't guarantee victory." Yoshi said.

Natsumi had just finished sparing against Usagi Ito. Usagi's erratic nature made it tough to tell how she was going to fight. There was the cowardly Usagi who played defensive until she quit, then there was the focused one who wanted to win.

"I know, I'll work on my recovery and evasion. Her flag is hard to dodge." Natsumi replied.

"So, Natsumi, the competition is looking pretty good?" Kento asked. Natsumi nodded and Kyo wrapped the rope around his waist.

"Well, that should conclude today's training. Remember, three days left." Yoshi put up her fingers. "You are dismissed. Natsumi, can you stay after for a minute?"

"I can't wait to see the genin I'll fight." Kento clinched his fist. "Then I'll get to use my new jutsu!"

"Hmm … me neither. But we have to pass a few tests first." Kyo muttered.

"Those will be easy. The chuunin fights are where its at though. I've heard of Takumi Kurokawa and Asuka Matsuo. Those two are the top in the class, according to the chuunin.

"It's nice to know the bar has been set." Kyo said.

- - -

"Sorry. Tee-hee-hee!" the short, dark-haired chuunin laughed. "I was so busy training that I didn't register my genin for the chuunin exam!"

"Don't worry." Iraku stated, handing her a piece of paper. "You still have today and tomorrow."

"Kay, thanks." She began to write the names down.

"Let's see. There's Shizuka … then Gonnoh … then Hideki."

Shizuka was 13 years old, and very quiet. Yet, she was always smiling. She never really said much besides short sentences. She wore a replica of the chuunin Leaf uniform with bandages on her neck. Her protector was on her neck.

Gonnoh Hagiwara was four years older, and much more playful than the reticent Shizuka. He was usually found fighting with Hideki, despite Hideki's inheritance. He wore a pair of green shorts with bandages wrapped around his calves. He wore a pair of blue shoes and a grey shirt with blue arm sleeves, with his protector around his right calf.

The third genin had a familiar face, or better yet, eyes. Hideki Hyuuga was 13 and came from the oldest clan in Konoha, and like the clan, he was adept in hand-to-hand combat. But, his physical skills, according to the elders of the main house, were still too raw, and he relied too much on power instead of the Hyuuga's patented "Gentle Fist" fighting style. He wore the traditional Hyuuga clothing: A white shirt over a tan jacket and black pants with the familiar blue sandals.

Their chuunin was a tiny young woman, but she proved she could hold her own in battle with her defensive jutsus. Her offense was nice, but she specialized in the Sato style, which was a more passive style which forced the opponent to waste their charka. Kimiko Sato was 20 years old, and a last minute type person. She almost missed her chuunin exam, nearly got killed in the Forest of Death and was close to forfeiting her match in the chuunin finals because of oversleeping.

Her genin sat in the hallway, awaiting their sensei. Shizuka sat with her head down, smiling as usual. Gonnoh was seated nearby, poking at Hideki's face. Hideki activated his Byagukan, and was dodging Gonnoh's advance.

"Gonnoh, grow up." He tilted his head to the right. "You know I can stop the flow of your charka, right?"

"So?" Gonnoh happily kept jabbing at Hideki.

_It's like someone has already stop the flow of charka to your brain. _He thought, grabbing Gonnoh's wrist and punching his shoulder.

"I thought you could stop the flow of charka? What happened to your Gentle Fist?" Gonnoh mocked. Hideki grumbled, turning away. Even as a Hyuuga, he had trouble controlling this style of fighting. His blood boiled over easier than most Hyuuga, and he bypassed activating the Byugukan sometimes and just fought with his fists instead. The main house allowed him to go because of his surprising physical skills, especially to be able to keep his balance.

- - -

Taiki gave chase to his genin, almost in a rage. He dove for Shun, who jumped allowing his chuunin to pass under him.

"nice move." Taiki mumbled.

Takumi tensed his legs, expecting his sensei to come for him next.

"Convocation!" Taiki disappeared amidst the birds. Takumi jumped anyway, and Michiya kneeled on a branch , watching and waiting for her chuunin to come for her. In this test, if the genin were caught, they would go without food until the exam started.

Shun formed a hand seal, then spun, creating a whirlwind, forcing Taiki away. The chuunin sat silently, watching as his clone raced back and forth, between Takumi and Shun. He watched a worried Michiya looking at the clone intently, then closed in on her.

"Sorry, looks like no food for – " Taiki nearly grabbed Michiya's shoulder, but felt a hard knee to his left side. Shun then quickly clasped his hands together, slamming them into Taiki's back. He landed beside Michiya, who looked relieved. They both watched as Taiki fell – then in a poof, turned into a log. Takumi leapt to their branch as well, then pointed in different directions.

"Shun, over there. Michiya, look over there. Make sure he doesn't sneak up on us." He commanded. In an instant the three genin faced in different directions. They waited for a sign of Taiki, steadily maintaining their breathing.

"Good work." Taiki said. The three genin turned to see him standing above them. "Especially you Shun. Takumi, good work on the leadership. Michiya, nice set up."

Taiki appeared on the ground, motioning for his genin to follow him. There were three days for him to prepare his genin for the chuunin exam. He saw progress, and was proud to see Takumi had begun to take it seriously.

- - -

Takeh began to lay a few kunai on the ground, carrying a plate of ramen on his head. Asuka tied her shoes, studying the lay of the weapons on the ground. Saraidenn stood beside Kaito, who watched back and forth between his genin.

Takeh stood behind the kunai and stars he lay, about fifty feet away from Asuka.

With a grunt, Asuka ran, dodging one weapon, then the next, then the next. Sarai looked at Takeh who stood still, who was turned toward Asuka, but his eyes studied his right. As Asuka got within ten feet, Takeh formed a hand seal, and a huge log came in on Asuka. She leapt over the log, then reached for the plate. Takeh stood still, and watched as Asuka miss the plate, and it fell to the ground.

"That was your lunch Asuka. Nice start, but work on your finish." Kaito said. Sarai then walked to where her fellow female genin started, and readied herself. Takeh had another plate of ramen on his head, and stood the same distance away. Sarai started, nearly falling down, but managed to keep her footing. She decided to run straight, ducking and jumping and rolling forward the whole time. Takeh looked straight ahead, closing his eyes. He brought up his hands to form a seal, and Sarai forze, expecting something to happen. Takeh put his hands down, and Sarai moved again – only she couldn't move. Takeh tilted his head slightly to the side, the plate on his head doing the same. It fell to the ground, and Sarai felt her heart sink.

"Sarai, why did you stop?" Kaito asked. She turned frowning.

"I thought he – "

"No." Kaito interrupted. "Don't focus so much on your opponent that they make you act out of character. You should've kept moving forward."

"Easy to say now…" she mumbled.

- - -

Miharu Nakamara sat on a tree trunk with her genin facing her. Her test today was a simple one.

"I want you to break this tree trunk." She said. Kazuki smiled, flexing his muscles.

"But, while one genin will try to break it, the other two will protect it."

_this should be easy… _ Kazuki smiled. Ayumi gulped, thinking about standing between Kazuki and the tree trunk. Yama stretched her muscles, thinking of the medical jutus's she'd been studying.

"The exercise ends when the trunk is broken or one of you is knocked out. I will switch out the roles when needed." Miharu said. Ayumi perked up. Maybe she could be the first aggressor. Kazuki raised his hand. "When the trunk is broken, the two defenders will be without food until the chuunin exam.

"May I be first?" Kazuki asked. Miharu nodded.

The tree trunk was six feet tall and about twenty feet around the base. This was no wispy plant. Kazuki stretched a bit before looking at Miharu who, gave him the go.

"Don't worry. This'll be over quickly." He knelt on one knee, putting three fingers on the ground. Instantly, he charged the trunk, full expecting to bulldoze anyone in his way. Ayumi jumped out of the way, but Yama stood her ground, closing her eyes, feeling the ground beneath her.

The collision rocked the area, and after the dust settled, Yama stumbled, holding her right arm. Kazuki shook himself, surprised she managed to hold him off.

_Transfering the chakra to her legs and feet to plant herself. Very nice tactic. _Miharu though..

"No worries. I'll just take it now. There's no way you can do it twice." He said. Yama felt soreness in her right arm, but stood her ground again. Kazuki charged again, but this time, Yama sidestepped him, sweeping him off his feet, sending him rolling into the trunk. He ended up upside down, creating a small crack in the massive trunk. He rolled over, then rotated his arms around, shaking the cobwebs in his head. Yama wasted no time, running behind Kazuki. He turned to strike her, but she slid between his legs, tapping the back of his calf. He moved, but felt pain where she touched him.

"I temporarily closed the veins in that area." She said. "If you move, it will swell and get worse."

Kazuki froze, feeling the blood building up behind his knee. He inched forward, feeling swelling instantly. Yama picked herself up, then called out to Ayumi.

"Ayumi! Come on!" she shouted. "Quit being scared!"

Ayumi trembled, walking from behind the tree trunk. She looked to see Kazuki standing there with swelling in his leg, and a dirtied up Yama in a defensive stance.

"This isn't one on one you know." She said.

Ayumi gulped, still feeling weak from fear. She walked beside Yama, shaking a little. Kazuki fell to the ground, grimacing and rubbing his calf as the blood's flow returned. He stood to his feet, kicking his legs a little.

"Nice work Yama." He said. "but I'm telling you now, there's only so much you can do before I overpower you."

Yama growled, looking Kazuki straight in the eyes. Ayumi involuntarily let out a gasp.

"Ayumi." Yama said, still looking at Kazuki. "Use your sound attacks. If we work together, we can stop him. Get over your fear, because it'll be much worse when a real enemy approaches us."

_A real enemy… _Ayumi thought. She nervously formed hand seals, and Kazuki made no mystery as to who he was gunning for.

"Ayuuuumiiii…" he mocked her. "Ayyyyuuuummmiiii."

"Ayumi, just get ready." Yama said. Kazuki formed a hand seal, getting in his same stance.

"I'll tell you how good the food is after I break the trunk." He said, then vanished.

"His speed?" Miharu said. She remembered him always talking about the mystery and speed of the wind, and how no one knew where it came from, and how he wanted to be like that.

"Ayumi, your right!" Yama shouted. Kazuki charged, and Ayumi did her best to hold her ground. She then felt the sheer force behind Kazuki's speed. She whimpered a little under her breath before throwing her shoulder forward. The sound barrier she created only slowed Kazuki down a bit, and he easily pushed her out of the way. Yama gulped, running at the chunky genin. She slid at his legs again, and Kazuki laughed.

"Not this time." He leapt above her, setting his sights on the tree trunk. He wound his fist up, building speed all the while.

_A real enemy would've killed me…_ Ayumi thought, picking herself up. She gathered up her strength, and formed hand seals while speeding to the trunk, behind Kazuki. With a final heave, she whirled around, then pushed her hands out, creating a supersonic wind.

"Rapid Cyclone!" she shouted.

Kazuki threw his fist, tapping the trunk, but being thrown out of the way. Ayumi fell, exhausted from her attack. Yama leapt to her feet, running to the protect the trunk, but heard a cracking noise.

"Huh?" she said, backing away. "Did he do it?"

The trunk cracked, then fell over, its roots sticking out of the ground. Miharu stared in astonishment. Yama fell to her knees. If the trunk fell over like that, then what was the verdict. Kazuki stood, and turned to see the trunk completely out of its spot.

"I did that?" he said involuntarily. Miharu inspected the trunk, then shook her head.

"You would've split it had you made full contact." She said. "Ayumi did this."

"What?" Kazuki shouted. "There's no way…"

"She was scared," Yama said. "But I told her things wouldn't be so easy with real enemies attacking us."

Kazuki looked in disbelief at Ayumi, who was face down. He scared her, mocked her, even threw her out of the way. Then she completely unearthed the trunk in a last ditch effort, knowing it would be her last attempt?

"Wow, Ayumi." Yama said, walking over to the tiny genin. "You acted in spite of your fear."

"Yes she did." Miharu said.

"Kazuki, get Ayumi. After she recovers, we'll go eat." She said, concluding their fourth day of training.


	6. Day 5

Day 5

Takumi stared at Shun Endoh, who was staring back. They both left their spots, running toward each other. Michiya sat at the base of a tree, watching the focus in Takumi's eyes. The look he possessed at first was one of boredom and complacency. He was the best genin Taiki had, but he had a habit of doing too little and putting his teammates in danger. One such scenario was firmly implanted in her mind…

_Five ninjas had them ambushed on all sides. Shun and Taiki both went to attack, and she stood in a defensive stance, ready to deflect any attacks as best as she could. Takumi sat atop a tree branch, watching as Shun took out two ninjas and Taiki did the same. _

_The final ninja was laying in wait above Takumi's head. Takumi laughed a bit before flipping off the branch, then throwing a kunai in the tree. It missed, and the ninja came toward Takumi. With quick reflexes, Takumi ducked, then flipped, landing his foot on the ninja's head. It lost its balance, and Shun jumped in with a roundhouse, felling the final one. _

_Taiki immediately walked to Takumi who had a board expression on his face._

_"C'Mon, Taiki-sensei, they were a joke. Michiya could've taken them." He said nonchalantly. _

_"There is never an excuse to leave your allies like that. What if they were in danger?" he asked. _

_"There was never any danger. I was giving Shun and Michiya a chance to train." He laughed, turning away. Taiki quickly whirled the lanky genin around, looking him squarely in the eye. _

_"If you are to be a leader, you'll have to take things more seriously. Look at the clan you come from. They were not only blessed with talent, but a sense of responsibility. Especially to those close to them." _

_"They aren't close to me. They're not family." Takumi snorted. _

_"You sure? You mean to say that if your life were on the line, and they were the only ones who'd step in, that they'd abandon you like you just did them?' Taiki asked. _

_Takumi opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't answer. _

Shun fell on his back, staring at the tip of the Kurokawa blade.

"Taiki-sensei, he didn't even use any genjutsu." Michiya smiled.

"No, no he didn't." Taiki smiled.

_… if you life were on the line … would they abandon you like you abandoned them? _

Takumi helped Shun up, then sheathed his sword, letting the words settle into his mind. He remembered the way he reacted toward his genin after the confrontation. He gave Taiki the silent treatment mixed in with a mean scowl, but the chuunin knew better. He knew the words had gotten to Takumi.

"Tomorrow we will go through your goals and dreams before the festival. Tomorrow will be our last day of physical training. Tonight, go home, and speak with your parents about the experiences they had in becoming chuunin, if they have any." Taiki said. "Trust me, they will have great stories and advice for you. In a way, they are your trump card for the Exam."

- - -

Ichiro Yamada looked over the balcony, humming to himself as he watched a view of the city. Being a shinobi really didn't excite him. His father, a former ANBU member, said that the Exam was something all of his children would experience at least once. Ichiro's younger brother, Asuma, was already training at his early age.

He dreamed of performing in front of packed houses and royalty, not heartless, mindless, bloodthirsty assassins. The contrast baffled him, but he had to admit, the training was fun with Kichiro, and if he were attacked, he did have a few moves to protect himself with. Maybe it wasn't so bad.

Ichiro turned to see Minako sitting down with Kini in her lap. It purred softly as she stroked it. She was the most optimistic of the genin, and the only person who wasn't affected by the "slight" pessimism by Kasumi. Minako kept Kasumi from being to much of a wet blanket, and in her own cynical way, Kasumi appreciated it.

Their chuunin, Kichiro Watanabe was a well liked person in Konoha. He was one of the few chuunin who had his own comedy bit performing for the Kages from time to time. He took time off to develop genin's skills and loosen them up if they got too serious. Too much stress greatly affected the flow of chakra, he felt.

"Ichiro." Minako asked, her head down and resting her hands on Kini's back. "Do you think we'll be ready for the exam?"

The question hit him pretty hard. Their performances so far were without the pressure of pass or fail, life or death. The missions were simple, and Kichiro always had their back. But this time, they would be alone, depending on each other and in some cases just themselves to pull through. Both Minako and Kasumi had proud lineages to fall back on and use. His father was the only ninja of any kind in the Yamada clan. And what about the one on one fighting, a highlight for Konoha…

Ichiro gulped a bit before Kichiro walked in.

"If you don't think so, then you may as well quit now." Kichiro replied. Kasumi walked in after him, almost joyous for a moment.

"Someone wants to quit? That means we can't compete in the Chuunin Exam?" she asked, her fists clenched in joy.

"Do you?" he asked. Ichiro righted himself, still feeling his stomach turning a little. Minako thought as she stroked Kini.

"It may not feel like it, but we have come too far to quit now." Ichiro answered.

"Mew, everything leading up to now would be a waste if we were to quit." Minako said. "I'm not leaving, even thought I feel really nervous."

"Me neither," Ichiro followed. " Sorry if you wanted to quit, Kasumi."

Kasumi sighed, her hands in her pocket looking past Ichiro outside. Shikamaru would've been telling her now to get through with it, because her mother would've made her do it anyway. Her father didn't care, and did his best not to try to discipline her, saying daughters are much to troublesome to their fathers, and mothers should only deal with the daughters.

She gave a faint smile, remembering Shikamaru coming homewith his Chuunin status. The family was excited, well for the Nara household. That meant a lot of snide remarks and jokes and ribbing from his father. Their mother only had more advice and was more intent on why Shikamaru intentionally lost his match, and why he was always fighting women. He looked at them with his usual indifferent brown eyes, knowing they were proud of him.

"That's OK. I guess I can stick around." She mumbled.

"A change of heart, aaaayyy?" Ichiro said.

"Mew! We really need those Nara brains, and spirit!" she leapt out of her seat, Kini being thrown, but landing on its feet.

Kichiro shared in the laughter, then placed a firm hand on Kasumi's shoulder, looking her in the eye.

"We really do…" he said.

- - -

_Shizuka rubbed her shoulder, feeling the burning. It was trying to surface. She looked up, only seeing red. She began coughing, feeling itching all over her body, She began to slowly scratch, feeling a little more helpless by the second. Her sight began to go out completely, before she went blind. _

_After she awoke, there was destruction everywhere. There was no doubt she had caused it. Burned bodies, charred property. It wasn't her choice to do this. She was helpless … _

"Shizuka, Kimiko-sensei would like to see you." Hideki tapped her on the shoulder. She smiled a little

"I wonder how it feels." said Gonnoh. Watched Shizuka walked to her chuunin. "To have something like that inside of you."

"I'm to scared to look at her with my Byakugan." Hideki shuddered. "I'm really glad she's on our side."

- - -

Asuka walked through the town, looking at the different faces of the people. Most of the boys her age were a bit tentative when they talked to her. They tried too hard to sound tough, or were just mortified, thinking that if they said the wrong thing, she'd destroy them.

Although her training was going well, and she loved taijutsu more than anything, it didn't mean she didn't want a boy who was a friend. She felt awkward whenever a guy showed some interest.

She walked to Ichiraku Ramen, hoping to drown in a bowl of chiken and noodles. As she sat down, she felt a soft feeling on her ankles. She looked down to see an orange tabby purring a bit.

"Kini, don't go away like that…" Minkao ran in, scooping the cat up. She looked down, seeing a pair of white shoes with blue stripes. She stood upright, looking at Asuka Matsuo. She gulped a bit before starting to speak.

"Asuka, mew?" she said, feeling her heartbeat speed up. She heard stories about how Asuka would react to people she didn't know. Asuka looked at Minako with wide eyes, not sure of what to say.

"Uh – hi?" she said, unsure of how exactly to say it. "Min–n– a-k k- o "

Minako mewed before sitting next to Asuka, who was a little frightened. The only time people came this close to her deliberately usually tried to make her mad and fight them. She shuddered a bit before grabbing her chopsticks. They snapped in half, and Minako gasped, Kini leaping to the floor.

"Sorry. Maybe I should talk to you later." She said, picking up Kini. Asuka stuttered a bit before calling to the Kiba clan member.

"N-no. Please sit down." She said. Minako happily leapt into the seat.

"Mew! Let's talk!" she said. "Are there any boys you like?"

Asuka blushed a bit, looking down and poking at the noodles with her finger. Minako leaned in closer.

"Hmmm … looks like a yes." She nudged the taijutsu user. "Who is it?"

Asuka leaned over, whispering in her ear.

"WHAAAAT!" she fell completely out of her seat.

- - -

"_Exactly six feet between the targets." Their chuunin said, looking at the kunai on the target. "For both of you." _

_Yoshi flared her nostrils, balling her fists. Miharu shared the same emotion, but grumbled inwardly. They both gave each other a pretentiously happy look, but felt disappointed. _

_Miharu-chan, why do you copy me? Yoshi thought. _

_Yoshi-chan, why must you emulate my actions? You should know by now that I am one of the few genin that can throw from every position? Miharu thought. _

_Yoshi grumbled something, then looked in the distance. Two trees stood crosswise from each other. _

_I have to make some kind of difference between us, even if I lose. I hate tying with you Miharu._

"_Yoshi-chan, care to have a little race?" Miharu asked. _

"_Yeah." Yoshi smield, even though it freaked her out that her friend was thinking the same thing. _

_She shook it off, and prepared to run. The chuunin stood in the middle of them, holding his hands up._

"_Go!" he shouted, throwing his arms down…_

Yoshi Nakashima watched Kyo use his rope to chase around both Kento and Natsumi. Her genin were ready, with Kento assuming the role of leader, even though Kyo was better at breaking down situations. Natsumi was the wild card of her group, with her unusual training she received from her parents.

Before attending Academy school, Natsumi worked at her parents farm, where they grew wheat. She loved to run through before gathering it. Plus, she would run through the thick mud after the rain as well. This gave her strong legs which were used to straining. She also had great endurance from working in the fields. This allowed her more stamina than girls her age, and the ability to learn all sorts of techniques easily.

Natusmi ducked the rope, then ran at Kyo, who formed a hand seal.

"Rope Coil!" he said, the rope surrounding him. He heard all sorts of sounds hitting the rope from both sides, and it began to give a little, despite hardening.

"Rope … Explosion1" Kyo shouted. The rope burst, throwing both Natsumi and Kento back. Kyo caught the rope, which was smoking a bit. Both Natsumi and Kento were smarting, but rose to their feet.

"Very good work, you three. I'll stop it here before you get too serious." Yoshi said. "Tomorrow, you can have the day off."


	7. Day 6: Part One

Day 6

Takumi laughed, as well as Shun. Michiya stared at her sensei in disbelief.

"You mean…" she asked, and Taiki responded before Michiya could finish her question.

"Yes. I changed my name because I thought it was a little silly." He shrugged, walking away from the table. Takumi leapt up and followed his chuunin outside.

"Washimaru? Washimaru? You mean the performing-nin who traveled with a few circus troupes before becoming a serious shinobi? _You _were with them?" he asked.

"No. My grandfather was the original Washimaru. He loved birds, especially eagles. So, he found ways to perform using them and combine them with his jutsus. After he barely fought off a group of ninjas, he decided to convert his performing style into a more physical fighting style." Taiki said.

"My father became a chuunin, but after that, he began work as a financial advisor in Konoha. After I was born, my grandfather wanted me to use the same jutsus he used, and become a tari-nin as a whole." He said. Takumi shook his head, trying to figure why Taiki would be ashamed of such a past. It sounded pretty cool to have a smart father and a creative grandfather.

"I guess the secrets out." Taiki exhaled, leaving the lunchroom at the academy. "Takumi, get Michiya and Shun. Our last piece of training is a simulated battle. Three-on-three against..."

- - -

Miharu watched the faces of her genin as they took the news. She wanted them to be tougher, and since she knew Taiki a little, she thought they could benefit from fighting against other genin.

"But Miharu-sensei," Ayumi asked. "If they see our attacks, won't it be a little disadvantageous if we were to fight them again?"

"Maybe." Miharu simply answered. Yama tightened the gloves on her hands, and gave Kazuki a smile. Kazuki retunred the feeling.

"I heard about Takumi. Other than him, no one else is really that strong. I'll take him." Kazuki said.

"Ayumi, get Michiya. She doesn't have many jutsu's, but she can take a lot of damage." Yama said. Ayumi felt a bit of pain in her arms, still feeling the effects of her wind attack she released yesterday. She moved them around, then concurred.

"The easier, the better." She said.

- - -

Kaito picked up a blade of grass, and studied it from a few angles before letting it fall to the ground. Asuka sat nearby, stretching a bit before standing. Saraidenn watched Kaito intently, hoping he wasn't about ask questions again. It was getting too close to the big exam to start making them think. Takeh copied Kaito's actions, looking at the thin blade. Within a split second, the blade of grass hit the ground in front him.

All three genin looked up to see Kaito had thrown the wisp at a high velocity.

"To a ninja, everything can be an effective weapon. You just have to know how to use it." He said. Takeh made a face, looking at the blade of grass which stood just like others around it. He picked at it, but noticed that it didn't come out as easily as the others.

Asuka was busy stretching, but thinking about the night before. Should she have told Minako? Would this change people's perception of her? She stood, taking a few practice kicks and punches, watching Saraidenn looking around.

Katio studied the reactions of his genin, knowing a few things about them: Asuka wasn't one to use weapons, Saraidenn's success so far relied more on luck than skill, and Takeh's traps could be the reason they make it to the final stage of the chuunin exam.

He really hoped he was wrong.

- - -

"Yoshi!" Kento shouted throughout the forest. Kyo followed, and Natsumi jumped from branch to branch above them.

"See anyone?" Kento asked. Natsumi replied no, and kept searching. Kyo formed hand seals, then gave both Kento and Natsumi a message.

"Guys, get out of the way." He said, and the rope split into many threads, splitting their way through the forest . "I'll use the rope to feel for her."

"Eh?" Kento asked, a little taken back. "Have you ever done this before?"

"I use it to find things I've lost before. If it can find items, it can at least attract the attention of a human."

Natsumi leapt from the branch and waited for Kyo's technique to take place.

"Wait, I think I have someone." Kyo said.

"Who is it?" Natsumi asked. Kyo closed his eyes tight.

"I really can't tell, but I can feel them, and they feel funny. A high amount of chakra one second, a really low chakra emission the next. It feels weird."

"You know, little genin like you shouldn't walk around without their chuunin in such a big forest."

Kyo, Kentu and Natsumi immediately turned. Kyo's rope formed back together, slithering out of the persons hand.

"Who are you?" Kentu asked. The tall figure stepped forward, flanked by two other people.

"Goro Ito." He said. "While we are here, we may as well fight you."

- - -


	8. Day 6: Part Two

Takumi evaded Kazuki's heavy fist again before forming hands seals. Suddenly, Kazuki felt his body frozen in place. He saw chains everywhere wrapped around his body, and a thousand kunai in place, ready to hit him. He gulped, reminding himself it was just an illusion.

_These chains … are getting tighter … _He thought. _The only way to be released from this is to concentrate on real pain. _

The burly genin grimaced, trying to break free, but couldn't. He yelped as a kunai found a place in his arm. He quickly concentrated on the pain and fell free. He took a few breaths before righting himself, only to see Ayumi and Yama backtracking as their three opponents converged on them. He quickly formed a hand seal, and got in a three point stance.

Shun threw all sorts of attacks at Ayumi, who dodged his attacks with ease. But she knew she couldn't spend all day playing defense.

"One Down!" came a loud voice, and Shun was blindsided. Ayumi relaxed her muscles before planting her feet and focusing on Michiya, who was busy preparing to attack. Takumi quickly stopped his attacking, looking for Kazuki.

"Two Down!" Takumi leapt quickly, hearing the source of the voice, which was behind him. If he'd been hit, his back would've been broken. Michiya and Ayumi were busy sizing each other up.

_All right Yama, you only need a second … _thought Ayumi. _I'm giving you some time…_

Michiya formed hand seals, preparing her attack. Takumi ran to her side, preparing to deflect any attacks. Miharu watched intently as Michiya went through a complex series of hand seals.

_This must be … _she thought. _Her bloodline limit. _

"Takumi, get back." MIchaya said. Takumi backed off behind Michiya, and felt a chop on his calf muscles. He fell forward, feeling intense cramping in the back of his legs. Michiya ran forward before Yama could reach her, and Ayumi did the same. Before Ayumi could attack, Michiya started running to the left, and left again, and left again.

_In a circle? _Miharu thought. Taiki stood nearby, watching the entire field. Takumi had been hit, Yama was watching and waiting for an opening in Michiya's attack. Ayumi was now chasing after Michiya, Kazuki had long since stopped his assult, and was catching his breath, and Shun was his only genin that was affected by Kazuki's attack.

Ayumi gave chase, but Michiya it seemed, was always a few more steps ahead of her. While she ran, she felt gusts of wind approaching her.

_What is this? _Ayumi thought. Michiya switched directions, this time running _at _Ayumi. A confused Ayumi turned tail to run, but gusts of wind hit her from every direction, keeping her in place. Michiya stopped, facing the trapped genin. She lifted her arms.

_It's not over? _Miharu asked herself. _How long is this attack? _

Michiya formed the final seal, and the wind lifted Ayumi off the ground, and - sparks began to appaear around her. Ayumi was suspended in the air her body jolting from side to side.

"This is Michiya's bloodline limit. The Helpless Tornado. The wind itself only traps the opponent. The sparks you see take away chakra, and when its over, Michiya can form another seal to have the wind blow her way and give her the chakra." Taiki informed. "It's an incredibly complicated jutsu, but if it connects, it can be very devastating to the opposition."

Miharu watched as Ayumi was suspended in the air. Michiya watched intently, feeling every spark fly within the tornado. Yama, who was nearly hit by the wind, crept low to the ground, making sure Michiya didn't see or sense her. Kazuki and Takumi both began to shout, and Michiya moved away from the advancing Yama. The winds began to die down, and finally, Ayumi hit the ground. Michiya formed another hand seal, and the wind surrounded her, giving her the chakra. It was a rush to Michiya's system, and she had to stand still for a few seconds before moving.

Yama leapt off her knees, running full speed at Michiya, who was trying to get her bearings. She felt a little woozy, and managed to move her right leg before feeling a tear in her left. She looked down to see Yama was being held back by the ankles by Shun, but not before her kunai found a home in her calf.

"Yama. That's it." Miharu said. "Kazuki, get Ayumi. Taiki, thank you for helping my genin to train."

"Thank you too." Taiki said, offering to help Michiya walk, but she shook her head.

"I guess I'l have to watch my legs, huh?" she joked, limping to help out Takumi. Shun, sat nearby, exhausted. The tackle from Kazuki had taken a lot out of him. Taiki watched his genin regroup, and Taru flew back, screeching.

"Really?" Taiki said. "I think we can make it."

- - -

Taiki sat in a tree, and his genin watched alongside him. It looked like the Ito's were fighting some more genin.

"Yoshi's genin?" Michiya asked. Taiki nodded. Shun looked at the three, who were also the oldest of the groups in Konoha. Both Goro and Rokuro were 16, and Usagi was 17. Takumi watched Goro much more closely.

"He really wants to be the best doesn't he?" Takumi asked. "He used to be pretty shy."

"Who are they fighting?" Shun asked, his view being obscured by a cluster of branches.

"Kyo, Kento and Natsumi." Michiya said. "Remember, Yoshi's genin?"

"Yeah. I know Taiki does…" Shun ribbed.

Taiki had feelings for Yoshi, but lately he felt differently about Miharu as well. But, due to present circumstances, it was going to be pretty tough for him to ask one of them out. Both were built about the same physically, with Yoshi being an inch or so taller, and older by almost a year. Both had very light-skin tone and had brown eyes. He had prepared to ask one of them out tomorrow.

"What?" Michya said, pointing to Usagi, who was being held in place by Kyo's rope. She was struggling, but she couldn't free her self. Natsumi delivered a roundhouse to the bound Ito, sending her sprawling to the ground. As she landed, she prepared to move, she was suddenly frozen in place. Goro held her in place, and Rokuro formed hand seals.

"Hand of the Earth!" he said, and the ground beneath Natsumi grabbed her like a hand up to her neck. She began to have trouble breathing, and Kyo quickly went into action, aiming for Goro. Kento ran by Kyo, going for Rokuro.

"Spinning Leaf Wind!" Kento spun, but Rokuro easily evaded the attack by diving forward, then delivered a sweeping kick, sending Kento to the ground. Goro broke his shadow hold, and ducked the swinging rope. Kyo then wrapped the rope around the bound Natsumi, and his weapon broke the hold the dirt had on Natsumi. She knelt down, trying to regain her breathing again. She looked up to assess the situation, and saw Kento leap to his feet, facing Rokuro, and Kyo was chasing Goro with his rope. She turned, looking around for the other genin, but saw her lying on the ground.

Natsumi then turned and tried to decide which genin to help.

_Since Kyo's rope can cover more ground, I'll help Kento. We both can make the other guy go on the defensive. _

Natsumi ran over to help Kento, who was kicked in the gut. He let out a yell, and backed off. Natsumi quickly stopped, knowing her assault on the taller genin would be useless without Kento attacking as well.

"Natsumi, cough I know he's tough, but distract him for a second. I'll need it to land a hit with my Chipmunk style." He said in a low tone.

"Really?" Rokuro said, forming hand seals, then getting into a battle stance. "Then I'll have to take you out now."

"I thought the Hyuuga clan only knew that style?" Shun said, watching Rokuro.

"They do." Taiki said. "Remember, of the clans in Konoha, the Ito clan, as well as the Nara and Hyuuga's are some of the smartest clans. The Nara's are great strategists, the Hyuuga's are nearly invincible with their natural physical abilities, and the Ito's are some of the fastest learners. They can pretty much learn every style if they wanted. But it won't be as effective as the clan who originated it."

"I see." Shun said. "Taiki-sensei, before today is over, can you go over hand seals with me one more time?"

""Sure. I think Takumi can help you out better though." Taiki answered. Takumi gave a nod to Shun. They turned to watch the battlefield, and saw Natsumi going head to head with Rokuro. She threw a punch at his waist, forcing him to move out of the way. After he landed, he quickly planted his feet, delivering a blow to Natsumi's, midsection. She planted her feet, preventing a crash landing. She ran forward again, this time, but pulled out two kunai, holding them with the blades out.

_This should give Kento enough time to get ready. _She thought.

"Dance of the Swan!" the Kuroda spun at Rokuro, who wasn't sure of how to counteract the attack.

_The best thing to do is to evade and wait this attack out. _He decided, breaking his stance and jumping out of the way. As he landed, he sensed, someone behind him.

_An attack? I forgot about the other! _Rokuro turned to face Kento, who was in the middle of punching. Instead of hitting Rokuro in the kidney area, Kento landed his punch in Rokuro's lower rib cage area. He tensed, expecting to feel pain.

_What? I must've moved out of serious range in time though…_ he thought. A few seconds later, he felt vibrations in the same area. He hit his knees, clutching his affected area.

"The Fist of the Chipmunk." Kento said, standing over Rokuro. "All I have to do is make contact once, and it's so fast, it hits five times."

"Kento!" Natsumi yelled. "Kyo is down!"

Kento turned to see Kyo on the ground, bleeding heavily out of his left leg. He writhed in pain, and flailed whenever Natsumi tried to reach him.

"Wait." Kento said. "Kyo is usually pretty calm, even if he's in pain. Natsumi, try to dispel this."

Natsumi's attempt was successful, and they turned to see Goro's shadow coming toward them. They both dodged the shadow, but Goro gave chase.

"Where's Kyo then?" Natsumi asked.

They both stopped beside Rokuro, who was still feeling the effects of Kento's punch.

"If he gets us, he'll have to get Rokuro too." Kento said.

Suddenly, the shadow stopped, and Kento and Natsumi shut their eyes.

"I found her." said a voice. They opened their eyes, seeing Kyo with Yoshi. Goro was standing a few feet away, his head down.

"Goro, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Jiro said, appearing beside him, with Usagi beside him. "Yoshi, thank you for helping my genin out. I wish you best of luck on the exam."

"Same to you." She said, gathering her genin.

"Well guys, do you see what may take place during the exam? Sometimes you'll be alone. Other times, you'll have to work together. Let's go back to the academy." Taiki said.


	9. Day 7

Day 7

"My mom told me not to get killed. She's making a lot of food tonight." Shun said. Taiki's group shared a laugh before Michiya spoke.

"Um, my mom told me a lot of stuff, but the one thing that stayed with me was to give it your best shot. I know it's pretty cliché and everyone says it, but I guess it's the way she said it."

"Best shot …" Taiki's voice trailed off. "Yeah, a lot of people say it, but it means a lot coming from someone you know. Especially your mom. Remember, she and my dad were both on the same team when they were genin."

"Oh yeah…" Michiya said. "They were…"

Takumi, sitting beside Michiya thought for a moment.

"My mom told me to make it through alive no matter what. She became a medi-nin when she was younger and she's seen what's happened to everyone during the exams. She told me she'd rather have me back in one piece."

"Takumi, how are your brothers doing?" Shun asked. Takumi was the youngest of four brothers, and the three older ones had all become shinobi of some sort. The oldest had a family now, and was on call as an ANBU, much like the next oldest. He specialized in transporting important village elders. The third oldest was a hunter-nin. Takumi, after thinking about it, really wasn't sure what type of ninja to become...

- - -

Kyo, Kentu and Natsumi watched Yoshi and Miharu stare each other down.

Kazuki, Ayumi and Yama sat back looking ahead of the two rivals. A chef walked through the restaurant holding two very large bowls of ramen.

"Here is your lunch – "

He froze a bit as he saw both young women give him nasty looks.

"Um … enjoy!" he said, racing back to his post behind the counter. He leaned over to the cook, shaking a bit.

"You can feel the serious aura. I've never seen two people so intent on …"

Miharu lifted a pair of chopsticks, and Yoshi did the same.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah." They both gave a signal to Kazuki.

"GO!" he shouted.

- - -

"I'm afraid you'll have to find another genin, or disqualify your team altogether." Tsunade said, looking down at Shizuna. The young woman's body was covered with burns from head to toe, and her heart rate was becoming slower by the minute.

"How can – we – this demo – " Kimiko stopped as the Fifth touched her shoulder.

"Karadazuba. A demon. It's not a bijuu, so there's no need for anyone to hunt her. A sealing process was used obviously, and this young woman did her best to keep it dormant inside of her. Be warned, once she dies, the demon flees her body. Like a forced extraction."

"Once she dies? Is the situation that hopeless?" Kimiko asked. Tsunade looked down at the young woman. She was still smiling in spite of everything.

"Ki – Kimiko…" she said in a soft voice. "Please, kill this demon."

She gave a final breath in the silent hospital room. Tsunade's green eyes were filled with fire.

"Kimiko, you can mourn later. Go get the jounin and chuunin. This demon isn't leaving the village." Tsunade said, looking down at the dead girl's body.

_Kentoru, we **will** have some words if you should show yourself at the tournament. _Tsuande thought.

- - -

"Taiki-kun." Kimiko quickly found a chuunin. She told him about the situation and told him to spread the word.

"All right." He said, whistling for Taru.

- - -

_One … more … noodle left _. Yoshi thought, looking across at Miharu, who was in the same dilemma.

Both groups of genin were on their feet, ready to celebrate their chuunin's possible victory. Yoshi stretched out her hand with her chopsticks, but past her bowl – and at Miharu's. With a last ditch effort, she pushed her rival's bowl out of the way.

_Yoshi … thank you. _Miharu gave Yoshi a smile before hitting the table with her knee, knocking the bowls in the air. A noddle managed to fly out of a bowl, and Miharu began to lean back in her seat, preparing to catch the noodle. With a satisfied gulp, she proudly slumped over the table, then let out a healthy belch.

"VICTORY!" her genin shouted in triumph.

"Wait a second." Natsumi said. "Didn't our sensei have different looking bowls?"

"Huh? Should it matter?" Ayumi asked. "Miharu-sensei got the last bite."

Yoshi lifted herself, then examined both bowls, putting them both on the table.

"Mine is empty." she said. "What exactly does that mean?"

"It means this." Miharu said, picking up the noodle and stuffing it into Yoshi's mouth. "We're still even."

"No you aren't." Ayumi said. "You finished a bowl. You win."

"Ayumi, you're wrong." Natsumi countered. "Although Miharu finished, she ate out of the wrong bowl. It's more of a tie either way."

"Whatever." Ayumi rolled her eyes. "Miharu is better, and smarter too."

"Please, if Miharu were smarter, why didn't she pay attemtion to which bowl she was eating out of?"

"Well, it would have never happened if Yoshi didn't try something as cheap as trying to knock Miharu's bowl away."

Both Ayumi and Natsumi gave each other the evil eye, sizing each other up.

"Yoshi…" the chuunin looked up to see the small young woman at the door of the restaurant.

"Kimiko, what's wrong?" she asked. Kimiko began sobbing, kneeling down before Miharu raced to help her up.

_Kimiko ... you can mourn later…_

With those words, Kimiko stood to her feet.

"Shizuna is – we need to kill a demon…" she gasped before rushing out of the shop.

- - -

"Karadazuba. The silent demon?" Kichiro said, looking down. His genin looked at he and Taiki with faces of concern.

"Minako, Ichiro, Kasumi. Stay here and out of danger." He told them. "This thing is very dangerous. We have to stop it quickly."

He and Taiki left the building to tell other higher class ninja.

- - -

"Dead? That means…" Kaito said, looking outside.

"Yes, get ready." Miharu said, leaving.

- - -

Four ANBU members appeared behind the Fifth, awaiting orders.

"Form a border around the village. We should have enough shinobi to deal with this demon." Tsunade said. The four gave a nod before vanishing.

_This shouldn't be a problem. This is a low-class demon. _Tsunade thought, pressing the young girl's forehead, which was burning.

Slowly but surely, Shizuna started to move. She sat up, her eyes shut tight. Tsunade was taken back. Wasn't this girl supposed to be dead?

"Shi – " the girl grasped Tsunade's hand, breathing hard.

_She's…_

"Tsuna … Tsu …"

… _still fighting? _

- - -

Saraidenn sat by her bedroom window, looking outside as the sky seemed to be turning … red?

"Sarai…" Michiya appeared at her little sisters' door. "We have to stay here. Mom and Dad were talking to Taiki, and it seems there could be a demon about to attack the city."

"A demon?" Sarai felt her body go numb and she didn't try to move. The thought of coming face to face with a demon wasn't something she was trained for.

- - -

"Tsunade … Tsunade." She whispered. She began to move out of the bed, but fell, bracing herself with her knees and hands. She crawled slowly along the cold floor. The Hokage shuddered, not sure of what to do.

"Please … Kentoru … village … Thunder … kill. Silent Demon …" she gapsed, and with that Tsunade was more than sure – Shizuna wasn't coming back. But within a few seconds, a demon would make it's entrance.

The shell of Shizuna began to crack and break in theback area. A light poured out, and within a minute, the demon leapt out. It was a red skinned demon standing on two legs at about six feet tall. It had claws with black markings on the palms of its hands. It didn't drool or make any sound. It looked at Tsunade with a impassive stare before jumping out of the window.

_It must be going back. … shinobi of Konoha … show your spirit. _

- - -

Taiki listened as Taru hovered overhead screeching wildly. Taiki felt his heartbeat, nearly shaking his entire body. In a flash a red demon was upon him.

_I can't sense this thing … _

Taiki backed up, forming hand seals, with Kichiro forming them as well.

"Illumination No Jutsu!" Taiki closed his eyes, the image of the demon still with him. A blue aura seemed to be surrounding it, a sign of silence.

"Kichiro … this thing won't make any noise. It's pretty fast and the markings on its hand allows it to act and think freely on its own and have control over its actions. This isn't some savage, mindless beast." Taiki informed Kichiro.

"Gotcha. This should slow him down though." Kichiro finished his hand seals. "Hand of the Earth!"

A large hand shook the earth beneath the demon, who leapt high in the air. Kichiro formed more hand seals.

_Right into my trap … _

"Wind Sphere No Jutsu!" Karudazaba was frozen in midair, being caught in a ball of wind. Kichiro clasped his hands together, and the wind spun faster and faster, spinning the contents as well.

"This thing is tough. Usually whatever is caught in is ripped to shreds. This demon won't die so easily." He said, still keeping his hands clasped.

"I'll help out." Taiki formed hand seals, but felt a presence approaching fast. He looked up to see a figure, which was obscured by the combination of sunlight and the transparent red wall. The lanky figure formed hand seals, and the air began to crystallize, and form a nasty icicle which impaled the spinning sphere – and Karudazuba.

With a crunch the demon hit the ground, and in an instant, three ANBU members took away the downed corpse, and in its place was a the figure.

"Kakashi?" Kichiro asked. He gave the duo a smile – well his eye showed it.

"I remember that demonfrom before. And I know that most demons hate cold type jutsus. Demons of this low a class are used in sealing assignments for apprentices, usually of high ranking academy officers." He said, looking down at the broken ice fragments and marks on the ground.

"Well, let's get this cleaned." He laughed bit, rubbing his white hair. "There's a Chuunin Exam tomorrow, isn't there?"

fin

Author's Note: Well, that's it for the first phase. Sorry for the disappointing fight. Hopefully I can make up for it next time!


End file.
